These Regulations provide for certain time limited exceptions to the prohibition of sponsorship in section 10 of the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002.

Regulation 3(1) provides (subject to paragraph (2)) that section 10 shall not apply before 30th July 2003 to a sponsorship agreement in existence on 11th July 2001, or renewed since that date, subject to the specified limitations on expenditure not being exceeded.

Regulation 3(2) provides that section 10 shall not apply before 31st July 2005 to a sponsorship agreement relating to an exceptional global event in existence on 11th July 2001, or renewed since that date, subject to there being a decrease in the amount spent on that advertising and to the reduction of the area of visible tobacco advertisements year on year.

“Exceptional global event” is defined in regulation 2.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared for these Regulations and a copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Assessment can be obtained from the CVD & Cancer Prevention – Tobacco Policy Team, Room 705, Department of Health, Wellington House, 133–155 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UG.